Special
by YouLookLikeFOOD
Summary: Audrey just wants to be special. So when that dream comes true, how can she hold back on what she's always wanted? What if she's no longer the one in control, but the man who showed her who she was?
1. Party

Audrey was depressed.

It wasn't the normal sadness that often passed over her. The one that would disappear the instant she was distracted. Nor was it the sadness that was only there for a few days, then disappeared again as the emotions began to seem trivial.

No, this was a severe depression, one that had kept Audrey locked in the house for days.

It was silly, really, what simple things held her in this sadness. The simple things that kept her in her room, crying her eyes out. The simple things that kept her from answering her phone.

The stupidest things.

She often tried to tell herself this. She couldn't be upset about such childish things. She _wasn't _a child anymore. She was twenty-one, not eight. She had to stop being so upset about such trivial, stupid, silly, _childish _things!

She had to stop wishing for the impossible.

But this trivial, stupid, silly, childish thing had kept her inside the house despite her more reasonable arguments. It kept her upset and hurt for days, despite how hard she tried to force loud, fast music into her brain. No matter how many fast-paced, non-depressing songs she listened to, no matter how many brain-numbing movies and TV shows she watched, no matter how many books she read, Audrey was still incredibly depressed.

Because she wasn't _special._

_Get over it!_ She tried to tell herself. _Not everyone is special, _no one _is! You're a normal person; you always have been and always will be! There is no such thing as superheroes, or aliens, or mutants! You are normal, and you always will be!_

Audrey burst into fresh tears.

No, she wasn't special. She was a normal woman, one who needed to get over these childish fantasies and _quickly. _Life had no use for such trivial things.

She tried to brush off the tears. These thoughts had plagued her since she was a child, and now they only seemed worse, despite her hopes (And parental reassurances) that it would get so much better as she 'matured.'

She could never be special, not in the way she wanted. Not the _superhero _kind of way. Not the _abnormal _kind of way. Not the _alien _kind of way.

She just didn't want to be _human. _

Was that so wrong?

Unfortunately, Audrey was born average, a normal human with a normal life. Normal and boring.

And she would give almost anything to change that.

She had barely heard the knocking on the door until it had become a loud pounding. A screeching voice accompanied it.

"Audrey Erickson, if you don't open this door, so help me, I'll take every single one of your old comic books and _burn them!_"

Audrey sighed and rolled her eyes. "Go ahead!" she called back. "Why not? Toss a thousand bucks down the drain!"

The voice paused. "Please, Audrey, you can't stay like this!"

"Why not?"

"Because it's not fair to everyone else, and it's not fair to _you. _Please open the door."

Audrey glared at the door for a moment, then stood up from the couch. "All right, all right. I'm coming."

Silence.

Audrey opened the door to reveal a red-headed woman with bright eyes and a stern expression on her face. Her brown eyes were narrowed, her hands placed on her hips. "Well?" She demanded.

"Well what?"

"You know what, Audrey, don't play games with me." Her lips pursed as though she'd swallowed something sour. "What's wrong?"

Audrey tried to blow it off, waving her hand in annoyance. "Nothing, DJ. Nothing at all."

Dorothy Jackson (DJ to her friends, as, along with her initials, that had been her dream job since she was in the cradle) bit her lip, an annoyed expression on her face. "Don't lie to me."

Audrey rolled her eyes. "I'm just… a little tired."

"Oh, yes. You're so tired that you've had to lock yourself in your house for five days." DJ snorted. "I'll say it again. Don't _lie _to me."

Audrey sighed. "It's personal. Let it go."

DJ looked at her friend for a long time. "You have to stop living in your childhood, Audrey." She said kindly.

Audrey glowered at her friend. DJ had a way of knowing exactly what you were thinking, even when you tried desperately to keep it from her.

She sighed. "Look. There's going to be a party tomorrow. Everyone's invited, including you if you'd bother to go to your mailbox and check. I want you to come. It'll get your mind off things; get you out of this… depression."

Audrey looked at her for a long time. Finally, she sighed and nodded. "All right. I'll go."

DJ's eyes lit up. "Great!"

"But you're going to have to give me a ride."

DJ grinned. "No problem. See you tomorrow?"

Audrey rolled her eyes, but it was impossible not to smile when DJ was. It was so contagious.

DJ raced off to her car, and Audrey was left alone once more.

* * *

If the party was meant to be a distraction, it failed miserably.

Audrey sat at a table, completely alone. Music boomed around her, causing her ribs to vibrate with the pounding beat. Her heart timed itself with the music as it seeped into her, seeming to draw her in, make her a part of it.

But that wasn't all. Laughter rang around her. People had to shout to make themselves heard. Everyone was talking, laughing, and having fun.

It was the kind of party designed to last all night. There were more than a hundred people there, so at least a few of them would be willing to stay until the sun rose. It had been at least an hour before food was brought out, and deserts had to wait for another hour after that. Then the lights started flashing and people started dancing; the music was turned up even further.

DJ, of course, was doing what she did best. Directing music, knowing exactly what to play and when, how loud to turn up the music, and so on.

But she'd left Audrey there alone.

Audrey couldn't really complain. There was no reason. DJ had to do what she had to do. She couldn't get mad about that.

She barely touched the food; she simply wasn't hungry enough. The music was starting to give her a headache. Irritated and really tired, she stood and started walking away. There was a small area behind the house that she'd seen when she'd first come. It looked like a nice enough place to explore, so that's what she did.

The music grew more and more distant as she walked along the path. It was short enough, so the music was never really canceled out. The path beneath her feet was just a simple patch of dirt, with tire tracks embedded in it.

It wasn't long (barely a few minutes) before she came to a proper road, one that crossed horizontally in front of her. The sun had yet to sink, and there was a faint drizzle of rain, so she could see, in the distance, a very faint rainbow. She smiled softly.

She looked at the road. No cars in sight. She could just cross it, and leave the party for hours. No one would ever know.

She looked beyond the road. There were old and unused cars and trucks, along with a couple tractors, across it. Following that were rows upon perfect rows of orange trees. Past _those _were hills, covered in dead grass that, from the distance, looked strangely beautiful.

She thought about it for a long time. For some reason, she really wanted to go, to leave this place forever.

She closed her eyes.

"Enjoying the view?"

She jumped, her heart skipping a beat. She whirled around to face the speaker.

He was a tall man, with dark eyes and a strange smile on his face. He had thick hair, falling halfway into his eyes.

She kept looking at him until finally realizing he was expecting an answer. "It's just a road." She replied.

He smiled. "To some." He came up next to her.

She raised an eyebrow, wondering if this man was really just friendly or actually drunk.

He extended a hand. "My name is Jake."

She shook it. "Audrey."

He smiled. "Care to sit down?"

She rolled her eyes. "In the dirt?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Too much of a princess for that?"

She snorted and sat down. "If there's one thing I'm _not, _it's a _princess_."

It was true. Audrey had never given into the whole 'princess' idea, even when she was little. No, it had always been 'superhero' or 'alien.' Once, it was 'mutant escapee from Lab 69', whatever _that _meant.

Jake grinned and sat down next to her. They sat in silence for a long time. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence; more like the silence between two old friends, just glad that the other was there. It almost seemed that way with this man. It was as though she'd known him her whole life.

He looked at her after a moment. "What are you thinking?" He asked.

She sighed. "Nothing."

He smiled. "That's hardly likely."

She smiled and looked back at him. "All right. I'm wondering what the world would be like if people had superpowers."

She waited for the inevitable laughter. She'd said it like a joke, though to her it seemed like a crime that it wasn't real, that it wasn't true.

But he just eyed her thoughtfully. "And would the world be better with them?"

She nodded. "Of course!"

He raised an eyebrow. "But, what if _everyone _had them. Wouldn't that be boring?"

She chewed her lip. She hadn't thought about that. Finally, she decided. "No. I just think it would be fun to have them. To be…"

"Different?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then what?"

She looked down, avoiding his piercing gaze. "You're going to laugh."

"Try me." His voice was so serious. She looked back at him, into his eyes which were locked on hers, burning intensely.

"Well… not… not human, ok?" She blurted out the words, then blushed.

He didn't laugh.

He looked thoughtful, almost like…

Like he was taking her _seriously. _

"Maybe…" He said at last. "Maybe it would be better." His dark, almost black eyes locked on hers.

She sighed. "I don't know. Sometimes I just really wish I _wasn't _human, that I _was _special."

He smiled softly. "So that's it? You want to be special?"

She sighed, placing her chin in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees, which were slightly raised from the ground. "I guess."

He smiled again, that strange smile she'd seen when she first met him. "Why didn't you say so?"

Before she could say anything else, he had his lips pressed against hers.

She lashed out, shoving him backwards, slamming her fists into his chest. She cried out as she broke away at last, on her feet in a split-second.

"What are you playing at…?" she hissed.

But she was talking to thin air. Jake was gone.

She wiped her hand across her lips, annoyed more with herself than anyone else. "Brilliant." She muttered. "Absolutely brilliant, Audrey. You walked right into that one."

Her previous thought that Jake was probably drunk now held no doubt.

She glared at thin air, as though he was still standing there, smirking at her. She was blushing; she could feel her cheeks and ears burning with embarrassment. She'd effectively poured out her dreams to a man who was completely _drunk. _

Irritation flashed through her as she slowly made her way back to the party, biting her lip as, for some unfathomable reason, it started to burn slightly.

* * *

Jake looked out from the shadows. He smiled as he noticed her biting her lip.

"Oh, Audrey Erickson." He whispered. "You have no idea how truly _special _you are."

And he disappeared into the shadows.


	2. Power

Audrey slept in the next day. When she woke up, it was ten o'clock in the morning, and she was feeling more depressed than ever.

She sat up in her bed, wrapping her arms around her legs as she curled into a ball. Of course, she had dreamed about _Jake, _the little weasel.

She sighed, wishing with everything she was that she hadn't fallen for that. She wrapped her arms tighter around her legs, as though she could hold in the embarrassment, keep it from escaping and taunting her once more.

Something blue danced across her vision.

She sat bolt upright, looking for whatever it was. She searched through half the room, looking up and down, before finally deciding that it had to be a reflection from the window.

She sighed. Of course, it was a reflection. She had to keep telling herself that. Because it _couldn't _be what she'd thought it was, even if she distinctly recognized it before it had flashed out of existence.

Because lightning _couldn't _randomly appear in her bedroom like that. At least, not without hurting her.

She walked out of the room, glancing at her reflection in the mirror she kept in the hallway. She groaned, glaring at the many tangles in her impossible brown hair. That effectively added another half an hour to how long it would take her to get ready. That was, if she decided to go out today. She was still debating that one.

She pulled out a bowl and poured some cereal into it. She was halfway through the bowl before she realized she'd forgotten the milk. She ignored this fact until she was finished.

She quickly went through normal routine; took a shower got dressed, and started combing her hair. That took considerably longer, as for some reason it had decided to tangle itself in the night.

Finally, there was only one left. She was incredibly annoyed with this one small little knot in her hair, one of those that was so tiny the bristles in the brush weren't small enough or close enough together to get it out. She reached her hand into the drawer to yank out a pair of scissors.

"Ow!" She cried out, dropping the scissors to the floor. She hadn't been looking when she'd reached inside, and had completely missed, causing a small gash to appear on her skin.

She sighed as she looked at it. Well that was just wonderful…

Her eyes widened slightly.

"No way." She breathed.

Slowly, carefully, the cut started to close. In a moment, it had disappeared entirely. Finally, the only evidence it had ever existed was the blood still covering her hand.

She hurriedly washed it off and stared at her hand in shock.

Audrey had no idea how long she stood there, staring at her hand and questioning her sanity. Part of her told her to let it go, that it probably never happened, that she was imagining things.

But the other part was begging to try it again, to make sure she wasn't just imagining it.

After what seemed like an eternity, and yet also seemed like no time at all, Audrey made her decision.

Slowly, she reached down to the floor and picked up the scissors. This time, she forced them into the skin on her arm, creating a large crimson gash.

She gasped in pain as she did so, then stared at the cut she'd created.

Slowly, it began to heal itself.

She swallowed, trying to control the smile crossing her face. She shouldn't jump to conclusions, what if this was only a one-time thing…

She sliced her hand. It healed again.

She grinned. Time to jump to conclusions.

She hurriedly wiped up every last trace of blood, then did it again, just to make sure she wasn't really imagining it, that this wasn't some crazy dream she was about to wake up from.

Apparently, it wasn't.

She started laughing. It was impossible! Insane! This couldn't be happening, it _couldn't!_

She tried it on her leg this time, hoping it wasn't just her arms she could heal. Apparently not. She laughed again. Even the pain was starting to disappear.

Could it be true?

In Audrey's mind, there was only one way to find out.

Instantly, thoughts of self-preservation kicked in. She shouldn't keep testing this, what if it didn't work, what if she died? What if it was a limited ability, only useful for minor injuries?

She looked at the scissors. They wouldn't be helpful for what she had in mind. She dropped them, and they clattered to the floor.

She'd made up her mind, despite her reasonable side still screaming. After all, she'd listened to reason last time.

And reason had been dead wrong.

Audrey smiled softly, slightly insanely. She would just have to use bigger measures…

* * *

If someone had told Audrey Erickson two days ago that she'd be sitting on top of her roof, looking at the ground and planning to jump, she would have slapped them. She might have been depressed, but she wasn't suicidal.

And yet, there she stood. It wasn't too high up, but if she fell she could easily break a few bones at least.

She took a deep breath. It was around ten o'clock, and surprisingly cold. A breeze danced across her skin, making her shiver. Or maybe it was the drop to the ground making her shiver. Maybe she'd never know.

The ground below was grass, edged with concrete. She'd probably miss if she aimed for the concrete, but she was going to try anyway.

Her mind was made up, but still the voice of reason pleaded its case. This was insanity. What if she died? What about DJ? What about her _family?_

_What about Jake?_

It was a surprising thought, and it made Audrey stand up immediately. Why should she _care _about Jake? He was just a drunk idiot who had thought it would be fun to make her pour out her dreams and nightmares to him, and completely take advantage of her. She hated him with everything she was!

"Nice try, reason." Audrey whispered to herself. "But that won't work."

And she jumped.

Audrey couldn't say that she'd ever jumped off buildings before. So she couldn't say that she was prepared for how badly it would _hurt._

A blinding flash of pain assaulted her as her head struck the ground. It was the only part of her that had managed to hit the concrete (go figure) and received the worst damage. But she could feel a few ribs snapping, her leg breaking beneath her.

She cried out in pain. She couldn't see, but she could feel her own blood pooling around her. For a terrifying, heart-stopping moment, she thought that nothing was going to happen, that she really _had _jumped to her death. Everyone would say it was suicide, and Audrey Erickson's name would forever be associated with suicide, and what _not _to do.

Worse still, everyone would believe that Audrey had killed herself for a _childhood fantasy. _

That was when the pain started to clear from her head. She felt her rib snapping back into place. Slowly, carefully, she started to sit up. She adjusted her leg so that it healed properly. After a moment, the only sign of her ever jumping was the blood that still covered both her clothes and the grass.

"No way." She breathed.

* * *

Audrey had probably jumped to her death five times before she could really accept it. After that, it was for fun.

Audrey Erickson was no longer human.

She didn't remember ever laughing so hard. She was different at last! Special, _at last!_

The sun was high in the sky before she finally stopped. Her clothes were ruined, blood covering them and holes marking the areas where her bones had stuck out. But Audrey no longer felt the pain of the fall. It was never as bad as that first time.

She hurried inside, took a fast shower, and put on some new clothes. She had to tell DJ…

She froze.

DJ.

What would _her _reaction be? Audrey had wanted this her whole life; DJ had just wanted to have a normal life, a normal job. Everything _normal. _DJ had never given into the superhero/alien/mutant ideas that Audrey always held. DJ _liked _being human, for reasons Audrey could never imagine.

She swallowed. DJ would probably freak out. Turn her in to the cops or something. Call her a freak, a monster.

Something like that.

Audrey made up her mind. She wouldn't tell DJ. She wouldn't tell anyone. Not her friends, not her family.

No one had to know.

For once in her life, Audrey really understood why people in movies and comics always hated their powers. They couldn't tell their friends, they couldn't tell their families.

But the biggest thing was that they believed they were no longer human.

Audrey smirked. That one wasn't a problem.

* * *

The restaurant was a quiet place. A few mummers as people talked here and there; nothing of real significance.

It had dim lighting, which gave it a warm and yet somewhat ominous feel to it. The walls were painted a deep brown, the lights a perfect yellow to reflect it. Piano music played softly in the background. The tables were meant for groups of two or three. Any larger and they would have to be combined.

Audrey sat at a table for two, though the other seat was unfilled. Right now, she preferred it that way. It gave her room to think.

She stared at her soup somewhat apathetically. It had gone cold a long time ago; she wasn't really in the mood for soup. She wasn't in the mood for anything, for that matter.

"Is this seat taken?"

Audrey glared upwards. The last time someone had randomly come up to her and asked to sit down and _talk, _it had been Jake. And she knew how well _that _turned out.

He had blonde hair and brilliant grey eyes. He looked at her, waiting for an answer.

"Yes." She shot back.

She man smiled softly and chuckled. There was something low and somehow menacing in that sound. "I'll ask again."

His hand came out of his coat for a brief second, and Audrey's eyes caught a glimpse of metal. She swallowed as she realized what the shape under his coat really was.

He was carrying a gun.

Her eyes narrowed. "In a public place? I somehow doubt you'll do that."

He chuckled again. "You'd be surprised." He smiled. "Why don't we take a quick walk?"

She looked at him. Her new ability was making her strangely brave. She glanced around quickly. There weren't too many people in this area, and they would all be running and screaming at the first gunshot. They wouldn't wait around long enough to see someone survive.

She smiled softly. "Why don't we not?"

He sighed. "Look. I don't want any trouble. How about you just give me your purse, and I'll go."

She rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't it be easier to just rob the cashier?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Never heard of silent alarms?"

She sighed. "How about this. You leave, and in return I'll let you keep your life."

His eyes widened very slightly. "You're not the one with the gun." He growled.

She shrugged. "Then shoot me." She whispered.

He took a step back, seeming uncertain.

"Shoot me!" She ordered. "Go ahead. _Shoot!_"

The man swallowed.

"_Shoot me!_"

The sound of gunfire rang out.

Audrey felt the bullet slam into her. She barely heard the screaming as people fled for the doors. But the man with the gun seemed determined to get Audrey's purse, because he stayed there despite the fleeing witnesses.

He reached down to pick it up. Audrey groaned, and his eyes flickered towards her.

Slowly, she stood up, surprised to find something hard and metallic in her mouth. She spat it out.

It was the bullet.

The man's eyes widened as Audrey slowly got to her feet.

"Now." She said, her words echoing strangely (and hopefully menacingly) in the empty room. "You can leave. Or I can kill you." She smiled darkly. "Your choice."

The man paled, dropping the purse to the ground.

"What… _What are you?_" His eyes were wide, his face white as a sheet. He backed away and ran out the door.

Audrey didn't follow him. She was a little stunned by what he'd said. _What are you? _Most people would be indignant, annoyed, if anyone had said _what _to them like that instead of saying _who. _Audrey thought about getting upset, but to be honest, she was flattered. It seemed official now. She'd joined a different species. She was a _what. _No longer a _who._

_What._

* * *

A very terrified looking man turned into an alley, his face pale. His blonde hair was a mess, his grey eyes shocked and terrified.

"Well?"

He whirled around to face the man. "I shot her. I shot her and she… she came back to life!"

The man smiled, as though this was to be expected. He nodded slowly. "Good. Good." He pressed a few bills into the man's hand.

"But what _was _she?" The man asked.

The other man glowered at him. "No questions asked means exactly that. Now go."

The blonde man nodded quickly and ran off.

The other man didn't know if he'd ever see him again, but nor did he care.

And, as Audrey ran out of the restaurant, covered in blood but without a wound, Jake smiled in the darkness.


	3. Waffles

Audrey woke up the next morning, positive that it was a dream. A crazy, wild, impossible, _wonderful _dream.

She turned her head, surprised to find that the scissors she'd placed on her nightstand were still there. She'd thought it might be a dream. This was her proof that it wasn't.

She lifted up the scissors and, flinching slightly, opened the skin on the top of her arm.

It healed quickly.

She grinned. It wasn't a dream! It had been completely real!

She was still special!

She tossed the covers off and leapt out of the bed, laughing. Everything seemed perfect suddenly. The sun was shining through her window, it was a nice day outside, she still wasn't human…

And her house smelt like waffles.

She froze. It wasn't her imagination. And she hadn't planned on making breakfast; not proper breakfast, anyway. Nothing that had anything to do with waffles.

Slowly, she opened the door, creeping along in the hallway.

She reached the doorway to the kitchen, peered inside and saw…

"Are you _stalking me?_" She demanded of the figure in the room.

Jake whirled around, a smile on his face. "You're up! At last!" He grinned and set a plate on the table, stacked with two waffles, syrup dripping down the sides.

Her eyes narrowed. "I repeat. Are you _stalking me?_"

His eyes were wide and innocent. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Well, let's see. First, you randomly decide to kiss me. Suddenly, you show up in my kitchen." She glared at him. "What am I supposed to think?"

He smiled. "Ah, Audrey. Sweet, simple, beautiful, _special _Audrey." He took a step closer to her with every word.

His hand whipped up from behind his back suddenly. Audrey gasped out as the knife slashed into her skin. It was so sudden Audrey thought it was almost like he was experienced with this kind of thing.

She leapt back. "What are you…?"

But he smiled. "I knew it."

Audrey looked at her arm, the gash already healing.

She glowered at him. "So? What about it?"

His smile widened, becoming disarming. "It's all right." He slashed the knife into his own skin.

Audrey swallowed as his arm healed as well.

He grinned. "We're special."

He gestured to the table. "Waffles?"

She looked at him for a long time, before finally complying and sitting down in front of the plate he'd set down. He smiled, washed off the knife, and picked up his own plate before sitting down across from her.

He sat there eating the waffles for about five minutes before Audrey had to break the silence. "So. What's going on here?"

He smiled. "You're special."

"I get that. Anything else?"

He nodded, looking at his waffles. "I made you that way. Sort of."

"Ok. What is that supposed to mean?"

He chuckled, wiping syrup from his lips. "I didn't 'randomly' kiss you, Audrey. I knew exactly what I was doing. From what I can tell, you can take other people's abilities by means of a genetic transfer."

"Don't act all science geek on me. English, please."

He grinned. "All right. You copied at least one of my abilities when I kissed you. I transferred my DNA to you, and your body copied my abilities automatically."

Her eyes widened slightly as she began to understand. "So… what? You gave me an ability… by _kissing me?_"

He nodded. "Now you're getting it." He bit his lip thoughtfully. "I wonder…"

He slid a glass over on the table. "I don't just heal, Audrey. If you're like me, you should be able to move this closer to you with your mind."

She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He rolled his eyes. "Just try it."

She looked doubtful, but tried.

Nothing happened.

He bit his lip again. "Hmm… did you wipe your lip off afterwards?"

She snorted. "Of course! Some random drunk decided to kiss me! What _else _am I going to do?"

He sighed, as though he was explaining an easy problem to a five-year-old for the millionth time. "I wasn't drunk, Audrey. And if you hadn't wiped your lip off the first time, I wouldn't have to do this _again._"

She looked at him. "What do you me…?"

She didn't have time to finish. He hurriedly pressed his lips against hers, standing up so he could reach her across the table.

She broke away. "Stop _doing that!_" She snapped.

He chuckled. "Just don't wipe your lip off this time."

She glared at him. But her lip was beginning to burn slightly.

"Ow." She muttered. "It's… burning. Is it supposed to do that?"

He shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Her eyes narrowed. "Wouldn't a blood transfusion have worked as well?"

His lower lip jutted out. "Well, yeah, but it wouldn't be as fun…" He pouted.

She tried to hide the smile, but he saw it. The grin returned back to his face.

She looked away from him, clearing her throat and trying not to laugh, but it wasn't working as he began to chuckle.

"Actually, _anything _would be better than doing _that _again." She said sharply, turning her head away.

He smirked. "Really?"

She turned to face him again, keeping her face emotionless. "Yes, real…"

But Jake wasn't there. He was standing next to her his lips on hers once again.

She slammed her fists against him, but it was useless. He seemed completely unaffected by her blows, ignoring them entirely as he kept his lips on hers. Finally, she gave up, going completely limp.

After a moment, he broke off, grinning. "What were you saying about how anything would be better?"

Her fist slammed into his chest, but something happened that she didn't expect.

Jake flew across the room, crashing into the wall and sliding downwards onto the floor, electricity sparkling around him.

Her eyes widened. "Jake!" She ran over to his side.

His eyes were closed. He wasn't breathing.

"Oh, shit. Jake? Jake!" She started shaking him gently, not wanting to hurt him any further, but at the same time wanting him to wake up.

She placed her head on his chest, listening for a heartbeat, placing her fingers on his wrist and taking his pulse there, too.

Nothing.

She placed her hands on his chest, trying to remember the CPR her father had taught her when she was a child. He was a doctor, and figured she should know the basics.

She seemed to remember everything as she cringed, about to give him mouth-to-mouth…

He placed a finger on her lips. "Gotcha." And he kissed her once again.

She slapped him until he broke off, leaping to his feet.

"You scared the crap out of me, Jake." She breathed.

He smiled. "Sorry."

She glared at him. "I thought you were dead."

He leaned over until he was at eye level with her. "And you cared?"

She didn't have an answer for that one. "I…I…"

He smirked. "I thought so."

Her eyes narrowed.

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her. "You see, Audrey, you're more special than you realize."

He reached out a hand. The glass he'd told her to move came towards him, landing perfectly in his hand. He smiled and handed it to her. "Try it."

She looked at the glass, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

He smiled. "Just try it."

She looked at it again.

Slowly, carefully, the glass yanked itself out of his hand and flew into hers.

Audrey started laughing, then tossed the glass into the air, stopping it a split-second before it crashed into the ground. She continued this pattern for a long time before Jake finally chuckled and forcibly stopped the glass in mid-air. "Yes, we're all impressed by your glass moving skill. Can we move on now?"

Audrey smiled. "Sorry. I've always been a sucker for telekinesis."

He laughed and placed an arm around her shoulder. "What about lie detection?"

Her eyes popped. "You can do that?"

He smiled. "Correction. _You _can do that."

She looked at him, amazed. "And I got all this because you _kissed me?_"

He nodded with a grin. "You were always special, Audrey. You just needed someone else to show you."

She blushed as his smile sent her heart pounding.

_He's kinda cute. _A voice in her said. And now that she knew he hadn't been drunk when he kissed her…

Her blush deepened. She didn't know this man. All she knew was that he was 'special.'

And he'd made her that way as well.

"Come on." He said, motioning for her to follow him as he walked back to the table. "We might want to finish these…" he gestured to the waffles.

She grinned, suddenly aware of how hungry she was. He pulled out the chair, and she sat down. He sat across from her.

He raised his glass of water. "To… special people."

She chuckled and tapped her glass to his. "Special people."


	4. Anne

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! I've had _severe _writer's block on this... it's not my best work, so bear with me, please. **

Jake hadn't told her where she was going. All Audrey knew was that he had a surprise for her, that he knew where there were other heroes, that they were going to show them that they were special too.

But the drive was long. Jake passed the time by listening to music, but Audrey slowly grew bored of that. She started passing electricity from one hand to another, slowly drifting off to sleep in that hypnotic glow…

When the car stopped, she snapped awake. She rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"How long was I out?"

"Not long." Jake reassured her cheerfully. "An hour, maybe?"

She nodded slowly, trying to re-orient herself. He hurried over to open her door for her, and she pulled herself to her feet.

He smiled as she stepped out. He shut the door behind her.

"So… what are we doing, exactly?"

"It's a hero I know. She's been trying to figure out what's happening to her. I think she'd take it better from you."

He gestured for her to follow him, and she did as he asked.

The two came to a small house. The roof was water damaged, and the paint was chipping. Drops of water drizzled down the sides, though the sun was beating down.

They walked to the front door. Jake knocked; he was the one who knew this hero after all, not Audrey.

The door was opened very slowly. A woman looked out at them. Her brown hair was in messy tangles, her pale blue eyes swimming with tears.

"Yes?" She asked.

Jake stepped forward. "Hello, Anne."

She breathed out a sigh of relief. "Jake!" She opened the door wider. "Come in, quickly!"

They did as she asked. Anne shot a wary look towards Audrey, but Jake nodded. "She's a friend."

Audrey looked around the house. Water damage was everywhere. Mold crept up the side of the walls, which were a faded brown color. The furniture was a crazy mixture of colors and patterns, and each piece only resembled the other because of the old, faded look each of them had.

"They came for me." Anne said softly. "I don't know who they are, but they wanted to lock me away!"

Jake placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. He looked at her, concerned. "What happened?"

"They came for my power." She whispered.

Jake shared a glance with Audrey.

Anne looked at them. "You don't believe me, do you? You think I'm insane." Her eyes landed on the sink in her kitchen. "I'll prove it to you."

She turned on the faucet. Water immediately gushed out from it. Anne lifted up one hand, and the water began to bend, shooting towards her. It stopped, two inches away from her face, and slowly poured into a ball.

She turned off the faucet, and the water ball fell into her hand. She twisted her other hand around it, and it began to take a different shape. It twisted into a large, twirling shape. Followed by a cube. And then she stretched it, until it was a very thin wall between herself and Jake.

Audrey watched in amazement as Anne formed it back into a ball, placing it in the sink. It dissolved and disappeared down the drain.

Audrey had a strange feeling. Like she _needed _that ability. As though there was something inside her, something dangerous, that demanded she have that power. She _needed _to be like Anne, she _needed _that ability. Whatever it took.

"I don't know why I have it!" Anne broke her out of her thoughts, on the verge of tears.

Jake came over to her. "None of us do." He said sympathetically.

Anne froze. "U-Us?"

Jake nodded. "Audrey and I are special too."

Anne's wide eyes flickered up to Audrey.

She nodded, pointing a finger at her skin. It broke apart wherever her finger traveled as the telekinetic energy sliced through it. Slowly, it began to close. The skin reformed, turning pink for a brief second before returning to its original healthy state. She cleared the blood away from it and showed it to Anne.

Jake smiled as Anne stared. "How…?"

"We don't know." Jake said. "We just… get these abilities. Not everyone has them, but some do. Audrey's ability is to copy other's abilities through genetic transfer. Blood transfusion…" He winked at Audrey. "A kiss, even. That's how I gave her my ability."

Anne turned to him. "And what's yours?" She asked. She looked excited.

Jake thought for a minute. "You know, I'm not exactly sure. These abilities just appear when I need them. I'm not even sure how many I have. Telekinesis, cellular regeneration, manipulation of electricity… but I'm always finding new ones." He smiled.

Audrey smiled back, realizing that this would now be the case for her.

Anne was now smiling with them. She let out a deep sigh of relief. "You have no idea… I was so scared. I thought that I was some freak! That… that I was alone!"

"Freak?" Audrey asked. "You really thought you were a freak?"

The question seemed to take Anne off guard. "Well… yes. I was controlling water for crying out loud! I wasn't exactly _normal._"

Audrey's eyes locked on hers. "And who decides what 'normal' is? Anne, we're as normal as anything in this world gets."

Anne looked at her, fascinated, as Audrey continued.

"Look. I don't pretend to know everything about the normal world, or even out this new world. But I do know that normal isn't always what it's meant to be. Normal is stress. Normal is watching your family die around you. Normal is being powerless, being unable to help the ones you love." Her eyes were smoldering softly. "We may not be normal; but we can help people. We can do things no one else can. Maybe it's better that way."

* * *

"You were brilliant."

Audrey smiled, resting her head on the back of her seat. "Thanks."

"I'm not kidding." Jake continued. "That was absolutely brilliant. I think she's going to be ok with it." He smiled at her. "Thanks to you."

"It was nothing." Audrey blushed. "Anyway, we'll see how she feels tomorrow, won't we?"

Jake nodded and kept driving.

* * *

It was four in the morning when the knock came on the door.

Anne opened it tiredly. "Oh. It's you." She rubbed her eyes. "What are you doing here so late?"

His eyes gleamed in the darkness. "I need to talk to you, Anne. It's important."

She nodded, yawned, and opened the door. "It can't wait until tomorrow?"

"No."

She sighed. "Ok. What is it?"

He smiled. "That little ability of yours. It's pretty handy." The smile stretched. "Very handy."

Anne looked at him. "What are you talking abo-"

She watched in horror as his face began to bubble and chance, the bone structure shifting with audible _cracks!_

She backed away, terror showing in her features as a completely different man stood before her.

"I'm sorry about this, Anne." He said softly. "Truly I am. But it has to be done."

He came forward, and Anne backed away. He raised a hand, and she flew backwards, hitting the wall with bone-rattling force.

He raised a finger. Anne screamed as a bright, crimson gash began to form on her forehead.

* * *

Audrey would never forget.

She would never forget the horrible, gruesome sight in front of her.

She would never forget the pain of the loss of Anne.

She would never forget the way her heart lurched inside of her chest.

She would never forget the look in Anne's lifeless eyes.

She would never forget that blank stare that the former water-controller had.

She would never forget how the top of her head had been severed.

She would never forget the crimson that stained the floor.

She _could _never forget.

It was the last sight she expected. The last sight she thought she would see when she opened the door of Anne's house.

"Anne-" Her words had been chocked off as she opened the door, revealing the body inside.

Jake came up behind her. Horror and shock filled his features.

Audrey blinked at the tears stinging her eyes. She did the only thing she could do, the only thing she could think to do.

She turned and ran.

Jake ran after her. She didn't stop until she was a good distance away, and her lungs were screaming for air.

She sobbed. The air caught in her throat and pushed its way out of her lungs.

"She… she…" Audrey tried to speak as Jake came up next to her, but it was all too horrible. An anguished cry ripped its way out of her lungs.

Jake wrapped his arms around her. He looked shaken, his face pale, his hands trembling as sweat poured down his face. "It's horrible." He whispered. "Just… horrible."

"We… we have to call the police." Audrey said, trying to be brave through the tears.

Jake looked at her almost pityingly. "I'm afraid we can't, Audrey. This is one of the setbacks of being a hero; if we ever speak to the police…" he trailed off, as though it was an unspeakable horror.

Audrey chocked off another sob. She'd only known Anne for a short time; barely a few hours. "Who… _what _could have done that to her?"

"One of us." Jake replied grimly. "A hero. There's no other explanation."

She wrapped her arms around herself, as though this feeble attempt could hold her together.

But, despite her telekinesis, her regenerative ability, the fact that she could tell when someone was lying… despite how incredibly powerful Audrey was, she couldn't keep herself together.

So she turned to Jake to do it for her. She allowed him to wrap his arms around her once more. She sobbed into his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"This shouldn't… happen… to anyone." She whimpered. "Why, Jake? Why did this happen to her? How could anyone do that to her?"

"I don't know." He replied.

"They'd have to be… some kind of... _monster._"

Jake stroked her hair back, trying to comfort her but seeming unsure of how he could.

He allowed her to cry for a while, then told her, "We have to go, Audrey. If the police show up and we're here…"

She nodded. "Right." She wiped a hand over her eyes, breaking out of the hug.

He took her chin in his hands. "It's the right thing. It may not seem like it, but…"

"I know." She replied weakly. "If the police come, they might not believe us. And then we'll be accused of murder, thrown in jail… and eventually people will find out. And once that happens, the others will be captured…" She smiled in a pathetic attempt to regain humor. "I did read comic books, remember? I know the deal."

He smiled softly back at her. "Yeah. Yeah, I remember."

Audrey shot one last, regretful look at the house, then turned and started walking.

Jake allowed her to walk, though he knew it would have been faster if they'd have flown. Audrey still didn't know about that ability, and it was probably best if he didn't inform her of it now. She needed the time to think.

She didn't say anything when they reached the car; she just got in. Jake let her sit in silence, trying to figure her emotions out.

Audrey stared out the window as the scenery flew past her. The grass was a green blur as they raced by, though the trees remained for a moment longer. But then they, too, were taken from her sight.

She watched the disappearing countryside with a blank, absent stare. Despite the brevity of her almost-friendship with Anne, she had liked her. The water-controller was a nice girl; too nice to end up the way she did.

But that was often the way with the world, wasn't it? Nice people always finished last, and evil roamed the streets, becoming more powerful and more dangerous with each second. Nothing ever happened to the bad guy, not in real life.

It was so simple in the comics. Two guys in tights went at each other until one of them was on the ground with a black eye and whatnot. It was always the villain that lost, always the hero who won, living to fight another day.

The life of a superhero was a restless one; the city never stayed saved for long. But no matter how many times the world was threatened, no matter how far out of their league the superheroes went, no matter how powerful the villain was, the hero always won. Justice triumphed against all the odds.

The real world was so different.

Audrey had thought that superpowers could make everything better. That being special helped everything.

The problem, as she saw it, was that there were other special people out there.

Everything began to fall into place. Audrey was no killer, so she wasn't about to go and destroy every 'special' out there just so the world would be safe. Nor could she go and destroy every person who would misuse these powers.

But she could be ready for them when they came to kill her.

When Jake finally parked the car, Audrey's eyes were as hard as steel. Her mind was made up.

"Jake?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"How many of us are out there?"

He looked at her curiously. "Not sure. Probably thousands. Maybe more."

She swallowed and took a deep breath. "Then I want to find them."

He looked confused, so she elaborated.

"Think about it, Jake. There are bad people out there. People like the one who killed Anne. And, someday, they may come for us. So we have to be _ready. _We have to be able to _fight back."_

He raised an eyebrow.

"Please, Jake. Please. I don't want this to happen to anyone else." Her eyes shone. "We can help people. Really _help _them. We can be _heroes._"

The other eyebrow joined the first as he considered. Finally, he spoke.

"Heroes, eh?"

She nodded.

He thought about it for another moment. "You're suggesting that we just… look? Audrey, we have no idea who and where these people are..."

"Then we find out!" She cut him off. "Find people with abilities and make sure they know the dangers of being a hero! Make sure they know what can happen! Like you did with me!"

He paused.

"And, if they agree, I could copy their ability. We could help protect them."

Jake slowly began to nod. "It could work."

"It _will _work! Please, Jake!"

He looked at her, pleading with him, and sighed deeply. "All right, Audrey. I'll do it, but there's…" he sighed, tryign to find the words. "If we're going to do this, then there's something you need to know."

She looked at him. "What? What is it?"

He sighed again, a much louder, deeper sigh. "It's about the man who killed Anne."

Her eyes widened.

Jake swallowed. "His name is Sylar."


End file.
